Former Buffalo Bills DT Tim Settle Jr. signs two-year deal with Houston Texans

Plus, a look at where the Bills stand now in terms of comp picks for 2025

The Houston Texans have made a splash during the opening days of 2024 NFL free agency. Their latest move sees the team adding former Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. — who should help bolster their interior defensive line after a few personnel moves had decimated the unit. Settle signed a two-year contract with Houston, which could see him earn a maximum of $7 million.

The Texans traded a defensive tackle to the San Francisco 49ers, sending Maliek Collins to the Silicon Valley in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. They also watched former starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins leave in free agency to sign a two-year, $26 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals — Houston has a clear need for reinforcements at the position.

Settle departs the Bills after completing his two-year, $9 million contract with Buffalo that he signed in 2022. After his first year playing in Orchard Park, NY, the previous Washington Commanders defender restructured his deal for his second and ultimately final season with the Bills. His tenure with Buffalo ends having accumulated 33 tackles, two sacks, and five tackles for loss over the course of two seasons while playing 13% of the defensive snaps in both campaigns.

As it relates to Bills Mafia’s now never-ending search for a victory in “comp pick bingo,” Settle’s contract sits right on the edge of what could be considered the threshold for a “compensatory free agent.” With the assumption that Settle’s average annual salary won’t net Buffalo a compensatory pick, here’s where they currently stand if no other unrestricted free agents from other teams signed with the Bills (per Over The Cap):

• The loss of wide receiver Gabe Davis is estimated to net the Bills a fourth-round pick
• The loss of defensive Leonard Floyd is estimated to net the Bills a fifth-round pick
• Dane Jackson would have netted the Bills a sixth-round pick, but his loss is cancelled out by the acquisition of wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

The Bills still have meaningful work to do on the defensive line in particular this offseason. The only defensive tackles currently under contract are Ed Oliver, starting one-tech ace DaQuan Jones, plus backup Eli Ankou. Those under contract at edge rusher/defensive end are Von Miller, former-first-round pick Greg Rousseau (who has a fifth-year option decision looming for the team), A.J. Epenesa, Jonathan Kingsley, and Cameron Kline.